WESTFIELD – The city has four candidates for state representative, two of which will face-off in the Sept. 1 Primary Election.
Republicans Dan Allie and Kelly Pease are seeking your vote Tuesday. The winner will go on to face Independent candidate Ethan Flaherty and Democrat Matt Garlo in the November election.
The polls are open Sept. 1 from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. For fall 2020, Ward 2 residents will vote at the Westfield Middle School, 30 West Silver St. All other voters will vote at the normal polling place.
Dan Allie
DAN ALLIE
Occupation: Graphic Designer, Internet Sales Manager for local printing company.
Relevant experience: (elected or appointed civic and community boards, volunteer commitments, etc.)
As City Councilor for the last seven years, I have learned so much listening to taxpayers, small business owners, parents and seniors. As Chair of Finance and Public Safety, I asked for advice and worked with department heads, other councilors, legislators and city staff on issues, votes and to find common sense solutions and write ordinances to protect residents. I saw firsthand how decisions by elected and unelected officials in Boston affect the city, the budget and our daily lives.
I have been involved in community service from an early age with monthly projects as a Boy Scout and in the historical preservation of one of the oldest homes in the town of Dighton, where I grew up.
I moved to Holyoke after three years in the Army. I obtained a bus driver’s license and volunteered in a bus ministry reaching hundreds of inner-city kids in Holyoke, Chicopee and Springfield. As a student at Springfield Technical Community College, I received the Edmond P. Garvey Founders Award for outstanding service at the college and in the community, in part for helping form a neighborhood association, restoring two parks and improvements to playground equipment at Morgan School.
What city issues are you most passionate about?
I care about the same issues as most residents; property taxes, the conditions of the roads, water, the quality of education and the future we are leaving the next generation.
The American people are supposed to be the check on our government. Elected officials work for us. People have had enough of paying for services they are not receiving, taxes continually going up, the excuses and being told by politicians there is never enough money. Massachusetts does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending and a priority problem. Too often tax revenue is not put in the budget that it was intended for.
What are the main concerns you have been hearing from citizens and what are your plans to address them?
I have placed two questions on the ballot in November. The first asks to restore Local Aid, the money cities are supposed to receive from the Lottery Fund, which was created to help fund police, fire and education. The state has taken over a billion dollars out of the Lottery in the last ten years, including years when the state had billion-dollar surpluses. If the state had a surplus why are they taking our money? Cuts in Local Aid and unfunded mandates put an enormous strain on city budgets and local property tax.
The second question would increase the money the state gives cities for road repair. The state passed a 17-billion-dollar transportation bond bill, but only allocates 200 million dollars per year, for the entire state for road maintenance. That figure should be 400 to 500 million. I placed both these questions on the ballot in 2014. Governor Baker restored 100 million dollars to road funding. Westfield received an additional 675,000 dollars.
Westfield needs to spend 7 million dollars a year for 15 years to rebuild our roads. The City collects 5 million dollars in vehicle excise tax and 1.2 million in Chapter 90 funds, but only put 400,000 dollars in the budget.
I oppose relying on and increasing Local Options taxes, and municipal and regional ballot initiatives to pay for fixing roads, because we already pay enough in fuel and excise taxes. We are simply not receiving the services that we paid for.
Talk about the city’s assets and why you choose to live here:
My wife Theresa and I chose to move to Westfield for the schools, safe neighborhoods and all the wonderful people that we met working on the campaigns of Steve Pierce, Mike Knapik and others. Westfield is a large city, but it does not feel like a big city with its residential neighborhoods and rural areas.
Why should residents vote for you?
Since I did not grow up here. I had to knock on thousands of doors, whether running for office, or collecting signatures to put questions on the local or statewide ballot to Repeal Automatic Gas Tax increases, restore Local Aid, increase road funding, end Common Core and return control of our children’s education to parents, teachers and local school boards.
People appreciate the effort of going to their home, providing information on important issues or helping them. People need to know how much you care before they care how much you know. My signs say Your Voice Matters. Putting questions on the ballot and informing voters allows citizens to make their voice heard and be the check on our government that we need, now more than ever. My promise is to work each day to help the people of Westfield.
Kelly Pease
KELLY PEASE
Occupation: Retired U.S. Army Officer
Relevant experience: (elected or appointed civic and community boards, volunteer commitments, etc.)
Last year I worked as a legislative aide for our former State Senator. I learned to navigate the State House in Boston and how to help constituents. While in the military, I worked with the CIA, DIA, NGA, and other military branches to negotiate and provide input on behalf of the U.S. Army for DoD Operational Doctrine. I also, worked with and trained South Korean, Canadian, Australian, Romanian and British Military members. During the Invasion of Iraq, I was an operations officer for imagery exploitation north of Bagdad. I also led a joint U.S. and British team in the analysis of U2 imagery over Iraq. Prior to joining the military, I served as a volunteer fireman, a part-time police officer, and selectman. I have two bachelor’s degrees, one from Westfield State University in Political Science and a Master of Law Degree from Western New England University.
What city issues are you most passionate about?
The immediate issue is the COVID-19 pandemic, but besides the impact that is having on our lives and economy, the important issues for our city are roads, schools, water, and taxes. With COVID-19, I would advocate for more control at the local level. Some communities have exceptionally low or no cases and they should have the latitude to determine how businesses and schools should operate. It is important that the state provides the expertise, but statewide mandates do not always make sense.
What are the main concerns you have been hearing from citizens and what are your plans to address them?
The biggest concerns I hear about are roads, schools, water, and taxes.
Roads: Westfield needs additional resources to repair our roads so they last 15 or 20 years and not just for the season or a couple of years. I would propose allocating an additional $1B to cities and towns in the Commonwealth. I would do this by reprioritizing budgetary spending and not by raising taxes, allowing cities and towns to do a better job of maintaining infrastructure.
Schools: Schools are our biggest budget item and we need to improve the infrastructure of the schools while maintaining quality education standards.
Water: The city seems to be doing a good job with the water issue. Wells 7 and 8 came back on-line and wells 1 and 2 should be right behind now that 7 and 8 are approved and meeting quality checks. I would put on pressure to get the funding for reimbursement.
Taxes: The State House is proposing new taxes and the City continues to raise property taxes and other fees. This impacts all citizens, but especially seniors on fixed incomes.
Talk about the city’s assets and why you choose to live here:
The City of Westfield is a great city and we love living here. There is a good variety of local restaurants and during normal times, the concerts and events for families are great. My family and I really enjoyed the 350th celebration last year with all the activities, parade, and firework show. The park and rec department offers a great selection of sports for children, and this year I had a great experience assistant coaching my 8-year old’s baseball team. The Boys and Girls Club and YMCA provide great options for activities and daycare. In addition, we have Westfield State University with beautiful Stanley Park right across the street. Westfield allows me to be close to family, friends, and all the people who give their time to make it a great place to live. For example, Rosie, she stood out with me at 7 a.m. most days during my campaign, she also spent many years volunteering at Noble Hospital, soup kitchen or wherever she was needed. People like her that give their time to the community really make a difference. My family and I would not want to live anywhere else.
Why should residents vote for you?
To qualify for this position, one must have the ability to read through bills and understand their impact on communities and citizens. I meet these qualifications through the experience I had as a legislative aide and through my degrees in political science and Master of Law. What I believe makes me the best choice to represent the people of Westfield, is my ability to work with others. During my military career I worked with, not only different agencies and services within the United States, but trained, led and worked with many foreign governments. I would take that experience to the State House to work with both Democrat and Republican legislators. My experience as a legislative aide would let me hit the ground running. Lastly, I am not a politician but will have a fresh prospective and will work hard for you.
